Electronic device manufacturers strive to produce a rich interface for users. Conventional electronic devices typically use auditory and visual cues to provide feedback to a user. For example, cell phones are commonly equipped with auditory and visual output devices for indicating an incoming telephone call. The auditory cues, for instance, may include a series of tones, synthesized music, or digitally-recorded music. However, in some instances, auditory and visual cues may not be useful to a cell phone user. For example, in a movie theater, a user will typically have the phone's audible ringer silenced and will have the phone in a place where visual cues cannot be seen. In this case, kinesthetic and/or tactile feedback can provide a more desirable and more effective interface.
Some electronic devices are equipped to provide kinesthetic feedback (such as active and resistive force feedback) and/or tactile feedback (such as vibration, vibrotactile feedback, texture, heat, etc.) to a user. Generally, these types of feedback are collectively known as “haptic feedback”. Haptic feedback can provide cues that enhance and simplify the user interface. Specifically, haptic effects may be useful to alert the user to specific events or to provide realistic feedback to create greater sensory immersion within a simulated or virtual environment. However, further improvements in the field of haptics can still be made to enhance the user interface of end user devices.